A busca ativa de tuberculose pulmonar em Teresópolis, RJ, Brasil: a procura de sintomáticos respiratórios na emergência do Hospital das Clínicas de Teresópolis Costantino Ottaviano, Fundação Educacional Serra dos Órgãos

The aim of the present study was to investigate the detection percentage of tuberculosis among patients that are respiratory symptomatic (TB suspects). In this work, we present the preliminary results of research carried out at "Hospital das Clínicas de Teresópolis Costantino Ottaviano da Fundação Educacional Serra dos Órgãos (FESO)" from November 2003 to April 2004. Among the 40 respiratory symptomatic individuals identified and referred to the Tuberculosis Control Program in Teresópolis, two (5.0%) were characterized as smear-positive. These results confirm reports in the literature and underscore the need for and importance of this strategy.Investigar o percentual de detecção de tuberculose entre sintomáticos respiratórios é o objetivo do presente estudo. Nesta nota prévia, apresentam-se os resultados preliminares da pesquisa desenvolvida no Hospital das Clinicas de Teresópolis Costantino Ottaviano da Fundação Educacional Serra dos Órgãos (FESO), de novembro de 2003 a abril de 2004. Dos 40 sintomáticos respiratórios identificados e encaminhados ao Programa de Controle da Tuberculose do município de Teresópolis, dois (5.0%) foram caracterizados como bacilíferos. Esses resultados corroboram com os relatos da literatura e confirmam a necessidade e importância desta estratégia

Morphological Characters of the Thickbody Skate Amblyraja frerichsi (Krefft 1968) (Rajiformes: Rajidae), with Notes on Its Biology

Detailed descriptions of morphological features, morphometrics, neurocranium anatomy, clasper structure and egg case descriptions are provided for the thickbody skate Amblyraja frerichsi; a rare, deep-water species from Chile, Argentina and Falkland Islands. The species diagnosis is complemented from new observations and aspects such as colour, size and distribution are described. Geographic and bathymetric distributional ranges are discussed as relevant features of this taxońs biology. Additionally, the conservation status is assessed including bycatch records from Chilean fisheries

COMMUNICATING COMPANIES’ SUPPLY CHAIN SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES IN A DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT

Nowadays, two forces significantly affect companies: sustainability and digitalization. Consumers, and stakeholders in general, are becoming increasingly concerned with sustainable business practices, penalizing companies perceived as not in line with sustainability requirements. In the face of a global trust crisis, consumers expect companies to behave with moral and business integrity, rewarding those firms acting to make the world a better place. At the same time, digitalization profoundly affects businesses’ processes, opening up unprecedented opportunities, while also posing a threat to companies failing to follow the digitalization route. While practitioners and scholars have studied the impact of these forces on businesses, they have scarcely examined the combination of the two, including how companies can communicate their virtuous sustainability practices via digital channels and, in turn, how consumers perceive the companies’ effort in aligning to sustainability goals. Our research project thus builds on the current literature on sustainability and digitalization. Specifically, communicating companies’ supply chain sustainability in a digital environment has the potential to be a lasting source of competitive advantage for companies that develop the skills, relationships and reputational assets to do so. This project aims to examine the antecedents – i.e. contextual factors – and consequences – impact on company growth/innovation; societal benefits – of communicating sustainable supply chain practices in a digitalized environment. Communicating the sustainability of the supply chain process in a digital environment is a complex yet relevant and constantly evolving task. It is relevant for its social, environmental, and economic impact on consumption, firms, policymakers, and local communities. Evolving because of the increasing sensitivity towards sustainability, not only limited to consumers and the business context but also in society and institutions, as exemplified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our research findings will benefit practitioners, managers, and entrepreneurs, as we aim to unveil how sustainability communication affects firm performance and customer perceptions and engagement. Our findings could, therefore, support companies, especially SMEs, to improve their competitiveness and performance by communicating specific elements of sustainability practices. From the academic standpoint, the joint consideration of digital communication and sustainability will offer rich insights into the value creation pathways through the extended supply chain process

COMMUNICATING SUSTAINABLE SOURCING IN A DIGITAL CONSUMER ENVIRONMENT

Two forces exert significant effects on companies today and are bound to intensify in the future: sustainability and digitalization. Stakeholders are becoming increasingly sensitive to sustainable business practices, penalizing companies perceived as weak in pursuing sustainability. In the face of a global trust crisis, consumers expect companies and their CEOs to behave with integrity, rewarding these firms when they act to make the world a better place. Likewise, digitalization profoundly affects businesses, opening up unprecedented opportunities, but also posing existential threats to companies that fail to adapt, as the emblematic examples of Kodak and Blockbuster illustrate. While practitioners and scholars have studied the impact of these forces on business, they have scarcely been examined jointly. Our research project is positioned at the intersection of sustainability and digital communication. More precisely, the project examines the relationship between "communicating sustainability in a digital environment" and "sourcing for sustainability" (Figure 1). Communicating the sustainability of supplies in a digital consumer environment is a complex, relevant, and constantly evolving issue. Complex because it brings together distinct actors and contexts: companies, suppliers, consumers, and local, national, and international policymakers. Relevant in terms of the social, environmental, and economic impact on consumption, firms, policymakers, and local communities. Evolving because of global events, including the current pandemic, that have engendered and will continue to foster increasing sensitivity towards sustainability, not only in consumers and the business context, but also in society and institutions. Through the qualitative and quantitative study of sustainable sourcing and consumers, this ambitious research project aims to uncover (1) how sustainable sourcing practices affect digital communication, (2) which elements of sustainable sourcing consumers value most, (3) how digital communication of sustainable sourcing affects the performance of relevant actors. An innovative aspect of our research project is the analysis of the extended value chain, from suppliers to focal firms and their customers, and the joint consideration of sustainable sourcing, and digital communication channels and contents. Our research findings will benefit practitioners, managers, and entrepreneurs, as we aim to unveil if and how sustainable sourcing affects firm performance and customer perceptions. Our findings could thus potentially help businesses, especially small and medium-sized companies, to improve their competitiveness and performance by communicating specific elements of sustainable sourcing. For academics, the joint consideration of digital communication and sustainability will offer rich insights into the value creation pathways in the extended value chain

DISTANZA CULTURALE, TEMI AMBIENTALI E INTERNAZIONALIZZAZIONE DELLE IMPRESE ITALIANE NEI MERCATI EMERGENTI

Obiettivo di questa unit\ue0 di ricerca \ue8 quello di investigare le modalit\ue0 di innovazione adottate dalle imprese italiane che hanno sviluppato un'attivit\ue0 di business nei mercati emergenti, vedendo in questi mercati oltre che una sfida competitiva, anche una opportunit\ue0 da cogliere. Si vuole anche verificare se e come le competenze aziendali e la loro valorizzazione, unitamente all\u2019accrescimento delle relazioni tra imprese (considerando anche le realt\ue0 distrettuali e le reti di impresa), consentano lo sviluppo di innovazione per e nei mercati emergenti. Ci si propone inoltre di dettagliare come le imprese italiane operino, esportino, si alleino e si organizzino per e nel mercato cinese, in particolare, allo scopo di sviluppare innovazione di prodotto e di processo, innovazione di approccio al mercato e innovazione di gestione delle relazioni con i partner di affari dei mercati emergenti. Sempre pi\uf9 i casi aziendali di eccellenza presentano modelli di business aperti che ricercano all\u2019esterno dei confini aziendali e nazionali competenze complementari o stimoli alla creazione di valore e alla innovazione per gli stakeholders dell\u2019impresa. In tali casi si sviluppano percorsi virtuosi di innovazione che coinvolgono l\u2019intera catena del valore aziendale, con particolare riferimento alle seguenti aree di innovazione: prodotto e processo, relazioni con il contesto di mercato e dinamiche culturali, problematiche connesse alla sostenibilit\ue0 e al rispetto dell\u2019ambiente interno/esterno all\u2019impresa

Buying centers in SMEs and the rapidly changing business environment: An exploratory study

This paper aims to extend the buying center literature by exploring the impact of the digitalization of communications and hybrid selling on the buying centers and their operations in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) context. Specifically, we analyze the impact of remote selling, hybrid selling and emerging digital technologies on the internal and external activities of buying centers. We use an qualitative and discovery-oriented approach with case study methodology that allows us to portray complex realities within the buying centers, especially in the SME context. We selected five cases related to Italian SMEs to portray the characteristics, practices, policies of different and relevant interlocutors to reach the saturation of the phenomenon explored. We combine the findings from our qualitative study with our literature review to offer nine propositions. We also discuss the conceptual contribution and managerial implications of our findings followed by the limitations of our study and directions for future research

Improved silver carbonate impregnation method for rumen ciliate protozoa

This study proposes improvements to the pyridinated silver carbonate impregnation technique in rumen ciliate protozoa in order to provide a standardized impregnation protocol for usable for the largest possible number of species in domestic ruminants. The proposed improvements are based on results obtained from impregnation of oral infraciliature and nuclear apparatus of 36 rumen ciliate species, which are symbionts of domestic ruminants. Compared to established protocols for morphology of rumen ciliates, impregnation of a wider range of genera and species was observed with the proposed protocol. The impregnation time varied according to size, ciliate taxon, or both, varying from shorter (5 minutes) for small entodiniomorphid ciliates (<80 μm) and the genus Dasytricha, to longer (30 minutes) for large entodiniomorphid ciliates (>80 μm) and the genus Isotricha. The proposed protocol is simple and easily reproducible. It is also advantageous for taxonomic, animal science, and ecological studies that aim to inventory the ruminal biota as well as understand the population structure of rumen ciliates and their relationship with the host